Closure
by Reginald Kastle
Summary: [fill]: Ryouga confesses to someone but gets rejected. summary spoilers, talk of self-harm, one sided sharkbait


_**Are we still doing fanworkathon fills even though it's frozen um**_

_**[Fill]: Ryouga confesses to someone but gets rejected. **_

_**Warnings: zexal summary spoilers, one sided sharkbait, talks of self harm.**_

_**Whoa this was going okay then just slid downhill so fast I'm not posting this to tumblr hhahaha**_

It all starts with a few simple words.

_I like you, Yuma._

_I like you too, Shark!_

_No I- that's not what I mean..._

Spitting out the words was the hardest for him, but he's finally done it and he's immediately regretted it; the way Yuma tilts his head in confusion at the words before realizing, coming to the conclusion that he _hopes_ Yuma's come to – he's known to go very far off the mark sometimes – and the way Yuma's eyes soften and there's almost this look of pity on his face that spells everything he needs to see.

Tch.

He turns immediately, leaving Yuma to call after him as he walks from him. He's not stupid, Yuma's face has said everything that he needs to, there's no reason for Ryouga to put himself through the agony of hearing Yuma actually _say_ what Shark Drake, what his _mind_ has told him ever since he realized _oh my god I think I like Yuma?_

[Quite an ego you have there, if you think you even had a _chance_ with Yuma.]

He sulks for a day. Just one.

He doesn't talk to Rio, just ignores her and snaps whenever she tries to pry information out of him because _she knows_ what he did and she wants answers; but just like Yuma's face for him, shouldn't his expression be enough?

[it's only concerning when his face falls and he gives a small 'sorry' before letting his eyelids cover his pain and he walks away.]

She's terrified when she sees the small black box sitting out on their bathroom sink. It's been months since she's last seen it in the open, when she accidentally stumbled upon it whilst chastising Ryouga about how he left the place while she was in the hospital.

[She'd never realized he'd been in_ that_ much pain.]

In a way, it's Ryouga's cry for help; he'd never say the words and even when she broke all his razors the last time, and it's also his way of telling her what happened. Accident or not, she's furious; what a stupid reason to do such a horrible thing to himself?

She storms to his room, not bothering to knock before kicking the door open and marching to him, pulling out his earphones and ripping his bass from his hands. She drops the two on the bed, ignoring Ryouga's exasperated 'hey!' before taking his sleeves and shoving them to his elbows.

She breathes out in exasperated relief as she notices only old, abandoned scars adorning his arms, and before she realizes, she's gripped him by his shoulder and starts shaking him.

"Don't you ever scare me like that ever again!" she cries before throwing him into her arms in an embrace. Ryouga stares at them through his mirror, totally lost and exasperated until he catches on, his eyes widening before sliding half closed in anguish.

"I'm fine Rio, you're overreacting. It's just a boy." _Just Yuma._

[he can try and tell himself that all he wants; it's _just a crush, just a boy_, but he knows the same as anyone else who's ever crossed paths with the male, there's no way anyone can say _just Yuma._]

Rio holds him at arm's length, frowning at him before sinking into a look of compassion. "I take it that it didn't go as you'd hoped?"

Ryouga sighs, picking up his bass and picking up his place in the song, plucking at a few chords and looking at anywhere that isn't her. "Do you really need to ask?"

Rio frowns, suddenly finding herself in a situation she's not familiar with. It's hard to comfort Ryouga in any situation, and this is one that's especially hard because he's whined and wangsted over is ever since she was released; _Rio fuck love it's just terrible; see this is why I'm here to protect you from these feelings;_ and to see him like this...

It's kind of heartbreaking.

"Rio, I just need some alone time. Just give me until tomorrow, I'll be fine." He doesn't look at her, choosing instead to concentrate on his bass, but she gets the message clear enough.

She nods, walking away and shutting the door behind her, pretending she didn't hear his frustrated yell and the sounds of what had to be cutlery shattering against a wall as she grabs her back and phone, buzzing anyone on her contacts list because _please get me out of here, I can't see him like this_. Kotori obliges and she's gone without another word, leaving behind only a note of where she's going and when she'll be back, not that Ryouga will even read the note.

He sticks to his promise and he's back to his usual self the next day. Rio drags him shopping and to a new movie she wants to see and he says it's boring but the way he clasps her wrist as the main plot twist is revealed exposes him; they run into some of Rio's friends and he sits and broods though it's not about Yuma, not about anything but _can we go now?_ In that stupid way of his.

She watches him when he next interacts with Yuma and she's not the only one who's shocked at how he acts as if nothing's happened at all; Yuma's expression contorts from confusion to _did I just make that up in my head?_ And maybe that's the way Ryouga wants it, just the secret between the three of them because he's realized too late and time is running out.

Yuma never realizes but that day he gave Ryouga his closure, solace given to the last part of his sanity; and even when he's brainwashed he fights back because _no I don't want this_, but it's too late so he clings to that day, clings to that memory and hopes that he was convincing enough because it's the last thing he wants to be remembered by, and here and now is not the way he wants to remember Yuma.

[_Should have kept your mouth shut, Ryouga._]

[_Now look what you've done.]_


End file.
